Research: Virginia Tech's IRB and You

If you are asked to produce a research-based study or report in a course that requires you to interview someone or conduct a survey, do you have to seek approval from Virginia Tech’s IRB?  That depends.

If your research project is intended to remain within your class itself  then you need not worry about seeking IRB approval. If, however, you might end up presenting the project at the English Undergraduate Research Conference, writing about it in an article for a newspaper or magazine, or even create a research poster from its findings, you should seek IRB approval.

Although it might sound daunting, the IRB approval process is relatively simple. You should begin your investigation at Virginia Tech’s IRB web site, with the link for “Researchers” (because that’s who you are!).  If you’re not sure whether your project falls under the “must seek IRB approval” category, download the .pdf flowchart that will walk you through determining just that fact. If you do need to seek approval, you will complete an online application. The link “Go to IRB Protocol Management” on the Researchers page will take you to the application itself.

Before you go, though, you should consider the following questions:

How are you recruiting subjects for your study?

If you are creating posters, flyers, or emails to recruit subjects, you should have electronic copies of those at the ready. If you don’t have these items, and you didn’t use them, you might need to explain how you recruited subjects.

How are you obtaining consent from subjects that they are willing to participate in your research?  

If you are creating an online survey, you should include in your introduction to the survey a description of the study, why you are doing it, its potential uses, the duration of the study, and any potential risks involved in participating in it. You should also thank the subjects for participating. An introduction could read something like this:

The purpose of this survey is to gather opinions regarding the issue of bicycle‐pedestrian interaction or safety on VT sidewalks. The information you provide will be incorporated into a formal recommendation or feasibility report being prepared this semester for ENGL 3764: Technical Writing.

This report might be sent to the appropriate audience on campus and might be presented in either oral or poster form at the 2010 English Undergraduate Research Conference.

Your responses are voluntary and will remain anonymous unless you choose to provide your contact information for a potential interview.

Thank you for helping us with this research project.

Have this introduction handy as well, because you might need to copy and paste it into the application.

If you are interviewing someone, you should have an “informed consent” form that can be signed by the interview subject and kept on file. A template for this form is found under the “Consent Documents” link  in the section marked “Prepare Supporting Documents” on the Researchers page.

What will you ask on your survey?

You should have a copy of your survey questions ready to submit to the IRB at the appropriate spot on the application. You will have the chance to upload the entire document.

What are your credentials?

Have your resume ready to upload or a brief biographical sketch ready to copy and paste where needed.

Once you have these materials gathered, it’s time to begin the application process. Simply click on the “Go to IRB Protocol Management” link and get started. After you have submitted your application, you should receive a response from IRB relatively quickly.  If more information is requested, you will be told specifically what to include. 

Once your project is approved, you should SAVE the IRB approval email for your files.